As government squabbles over the factors involved in making a climate deal continue, climate change continues to impact natural processes. While some species on the planet will be impacted more than others, including humans, some species are expected to become extinct under the growing pressures of a changing climate. However, some species are already evolving potential adaptations against a warming world.
As detailed in the recently published study in the journal Nature Communications, tawny owls in Finland may already be adapting to increasing temperatures through their plumage colors. Tawny owls have two different colorings, grey and brown. The grey coloring is dominant over the brown genetically and their coloring does not change at any stage in their lives.
The study analyzed data collected on tawny owls over the past thirty years across Finland. Traditionally, thirty percent of the tawny owl population would be brown in color. However, the study found that as winters of Finland become warmer, there is an increasing number of brown tawny owls. In fact, the study authors believe that brown tawny owls now make up fifty percent of the population.
However, during colder or more typical Finnish winters, there is a high mortality rate for brown tawny owls. Brown tawny owls are more susceptible to predators when there is snow around. In addition to not being able to survive colder winters as readily as their grey counterparts, brown owls also tend to have weaker immune systems and require more sustenance due to high metabolisms.
The increasingly warmer winters have enabled the brown tawny owl populations to survive, however. The scientists involved in the study believe that the owls are evolving to deal with climate change. Dr. Patrick Karell from the University of Helsinki, the lead author of the study, stated: “[Brown tawny owl] survival has improved as winters have become warmer. In other words, climate-driven selection has led to an evolutionary change in the population.”
